Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Guinea

Name: Guinea
Address: GN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in South Africa versus $779 in Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in South Africa versus $1,315 in Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,419 in South Africa versus $1,850 in Guinea.

Living in South Africa is roughly 47% more expensive than in Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 17% lower, Guinea 44% lower.

South Africa ($647–$1,815) and Guinea ($207–$1,351) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$4.93 GNF 43.3K

129.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$30.71 GNF 269.8K

44.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$10.47 GNF 92.0K

-43.65%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$3.25 GNF 28.5K

-24.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.64

$1.84 GNF 16.2K

-36.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$1.19 GNF 10.4K

-19.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$2.92 GNF 25.6K

-12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$4.45 GNF 39.1K

-30.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$2.12 GNF 18.6K

-39.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.49 GNF 13.1K

-24.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$1.51 GNF 13.3K

21.19%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$3.97 GNF 34.9K

-35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$18.88 GNF 165.8K

-55.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$6.20 GNF 54.4K

-12.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$9.96 GNF 87.5K

-20.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$2.54 GNF 22.3K

-25.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$2.41 GNF 21.2K

-29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$2.55 GNF 22.4K

-29.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$2.69 GNF 23.6K

-30.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$1.87 GNF 16.5K

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$1.85 GNF 16.2K

-19.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$1.06 GNF 9,353

25.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$1.05 GNF 9,211

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$1.17 GNF 10.3K

191.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$10.97 GNF 96.4K

-53.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$1.56 GNF 13.7K

-3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$1.78 GNF 15.6K

14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$1.47 GNF 12.9K

19.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$28.64 GNF 251.6K

120.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$1.54 GNF 13.5K

-27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$0.88 GNF 7,730

14.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$39.19 GNF 344.3K

-79.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.41 GNF 12.4K

3.55%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.8K R 592.8K

$25.4K GNF 223.3M

44.81%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.5K R 523.6K

$23.1K GNF 203.3M

40.50%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$136 R 2,185

$171 GNF 1.5M

-20.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.72 R 575

$76.4 GNF 670.8K

-53.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$184 GNF 1.6M

-77.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$89.6 GNF 787.0K

-60.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$28.55 GNF 250.8K

-56.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$4.11 GNF 36.1K

85.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$231 R 3,725

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$6,403 GNF 56.2M

-10.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$20.34 GNF 178.7K

177.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$25.07 GNF 220.2K

35.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$30.57 GNF 268.6K

232.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$49.58 GNF 435.5K

87.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$512 GNF 4.5M

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$316 GNF 2.8M

32.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$1,168 GNF 10.3M

-16.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$1,015 GNF 8.9M

-17.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$109 GNF 957.0K

956.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$2,295 GNF 20.2M

-32.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

10.25

9.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Guinea: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $445 in South Africa, $255 in Guinea. Capital cities: $324 in Bloemfontein vs $511 in Conakry.

National salary averages: $1,553 in South Africa, $1,801 in Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 75% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 11% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 21% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 16% higher in Guinea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Guinea.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Africa vs Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $779 per month in Guinea and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 58% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Guinea: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Guinea, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Guinea wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.